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Garlic Flavor Lacking In New Olive Oil Loaf

Rick Bonino Food Editor

If half a loaf is better than none, how about a couple of little loaves with olive oil instead of butter?

Pepperidge Farm’s garlic and olive oil loaves, a lightened-up (but not exactly light, at 7 fat grams per serving) version of the company’s regular frozen garlic bread, are more like filled sandwich rolls.

The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel liked them well enough, despite some complaints about the lack of garlic and sogginess of the bread. At least panel members knew which side their bread was buttered - er, olive oiled - on.

Pepperidge Farm Garlic & Olive Oil Loaves

Price: $2.08 for 9.5 ounces (2 small loaves, or 5 servings).

Nutrition: 170 calories (35 percent fat calories); 290 milligrams sodium per (2-1/2-inch) serving.

Taste: ****

Value: **

Comments: “Too much butter - the bread is soggy, good crisp crunch to the crust, but the sogginess outweighs the positive. No garlic flavor.” - Meagan Coffey

“Not smothered with too much garlic powder like many prespiced breads. It does need a quick broil near the end to keep the top from getting too soggy, but it has a nice, thick crust.” - Madilyn Hutchison Foco

, DataTimes MEMO: Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are prepared in a test kitchen according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated from one to five stars for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.

Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are prepared in a test kitchen according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated from one to five stars for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.